No Cost Sharing for Public Assistance Recipients and Health Service Usage in Japan

Is no cost sharing for health care services for public assistance recipients associated with increased medical and dental care utilization?In this retrospective cohort study including 2893 patients certified for public assistance, outpatient care was associated with increased medical and dental settings after switching to no cost sharing. Dental care use showed significantly greater elasticity than medical care use.No cost sharing on health care services for public assistance recipients was associated with higher outpatient medical and dental care utilization, highlighting the importance of monitoring the use of appropriate health care services before and after implementing no cost sharing.

Corresponding Author: Kenji Takeuchi, DDS, PhD, Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan (kenji.takeuchi.c4@tohoku.ac.jp).

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